Philosopher Byung chul Han has a lot to say about what we’re (voluntarily) giving up by letting the lines blur between our real lives (selves) and the digital world…
I found him through a somewhat in-depth review below then couldn’t find that book in English so I read his book The Burnout Society plus other short writings.
I’m totally with you on this, Tim. I don’t have a Spotify account and cannot STAND algorithms that try and choose ANYTHING for me. Rumplestiltskin! F*ck that!
I've always had the sense that paying a few dollars a month for unlimited access to music is cheating. And the more I learn about how streaming services work, the more I feel that hunch is right. Music is always something I’ve been willing to pay for. Even when buying records was a stretch to my budget, it was always worth it to me. I tried Pandora a long time ago and then did the free Spotify trial a few years back; I found that listening to playlists generated from a few songs I’d selected tedious and unsatisfying. Almost all of the music that I have loved over my life has come to me via recommendation, either through the kind of connection where someone who knows and appreciates my tastes heard a musician they believed I'd like and gave me a cd or a cassette or forwarded me a link, or through the sort of enthusiasm when a friend finds an artist they just want everyone to hear. It’s one of the many ways that friends have made my life better. An algorithm doesn't give a shit about me or my tastes, and it doesn't love music. So how could it possibly enter that intimate space to add anything to my life? Thanks for this post.
Right you are Tim. I do have a bit of my music up on Spotify, but I don't use Spotify. So far Bandcamp is my preference for music shopping and also for maintaining my online music sales presence. Even though it's now owned by Epic.
Philosopher Byung chul Han has a lot to say about what we’re (voluntarily) giving up by letting the lines blur between our real lives (selves) and the digital world…
Thanks for this. Any work in particular you'd recommend?
I found him through a somewhat in-depth review below then couldn’t find that book in English so I read his book The Burnout Society plus other short writings.
https://artreview.com/byung-chul-han-i-practise-philosophy-as-art/
This had a strong impact on me just now. Thanks again. I’m looking forward to reading more.
Very deep thinker. I enjoyed this interview, and in fact have printed it out for future reference. Thanks!
I’m totally with you on this, Tim. I don’t have a Spotify account and cannot STAND algorithms that try and choose ANYTHING for me. Rumplestiltskin! F*ck that!
Thank you, Gina. There’s so much at stake!
I've always had the sense that paying a few dollars a month for unlimited access to music is cheating. And the more I learn about how streaming services work, the more I feel that hunch is right. Music is always something I’ve been willing to pay for. Even when buying records was a stretch to my budget, it was always worth it to me. I tried Pandora a long time ago and then did the free Spotify trial a few years back; I found that listening to playlists generated from a few songs I’d selected tedious and unsatisfying. Almost all of the music that I have loved over my life has come to me via recommendation, either through the kind of connection where someone who knows and appreciates my tastes heard a musician they believed I'd like and gave me a cd or a cassette or forwarded me a link, or through the sort of enthusiasm when a friend finds an artist they just want everyone to hear. It’s one of the many ways that friends have made my life better. An algorithm doesn't give a shit about me or my tastes, and it doesn't love music. So how could it possibly enter that intimate space to add anything to my life? Thanks for this post.
I think I can safely say on behalf of all musicians that we wish there were more of you.
Right you are Tim. I do have a bit of my music up on Spotify, but I don't use Spotify. So far Bandcamp is my preference for music shopping and also for maintaining my online music sales presence. Even though it's now owned by Epic.
I’m in the same boat. Everything about the Bandcamp experience (despite the ownership change) feels more connected, human.